Asked for Water, Given Urine-Punjab Man Escapes Traffickers in Iran

National News: Singh, a young man from Punjab, thought he was headed to Australia for a better life. But instead, he was trafficked to Iran, where he was held hostage by a brutal gang. For over a month, he endured beatings, starvation, and psychological torture. One of the most horrifying moments came when he asked for water — and was forced to drink urine. His captors demanded ransom from his family back in India. With the Indian government’s intervention, Jaspal was finally rescued and brought home — alive, but deeply scarred.

Dreaming of Australia, Landed in a Nightmare

Jaspal Singh, a resident of Langroa village in Punjab’s Nawanshahr district, left India dreaming of a better life in Australia. But instead of finding opportunity, he stepped into a horrifying ordeal. After weeks of captivity and torture in Iran, Jaspal has finally returned home — welcomed by a tearful family but carrying the trauma of what he endured.

2. ₹18 Lakh and a One-Way Ticket to Hell

Lured by the promise of a smooth route to Australia, Jaspal handed over ₹18 lakh to a travel agent named Dheeraj Atwal. But instead of boarding a flight to his dream destination, he was flown to Dubai and then to Iran. There, acting on the directions of another agent from Hoshiarpur, a group of Pakistani and Iranian traffickers abducted him, looted his belongings, and took him — along with two other Punjabi youths — to an undisclosed location.

3. Torture, Terror, and a Desperate Cry for Help

“They tied our hands and legs and locked us in separate rooms,” Jaspal recalled. For over a month, he endured unimaginable torture — both physical and psychological. “Once, when I asked for water, they made me drink urine,” he revealed. The kidnappers demanded another ₹18 lakh from his family as ransom for his release, turning his dream into a living hell.

4. Rescued but Scarred: A Wake-Up Call for India

The nightmare ended only after a coordinated effort by the Indian government and the Indian Embassy in Iran, who helped track down and rescue Jaspal and the others. Their passports had already been destroyed. While Jaspal is now safe at home, the emotional wounds run deep. His story is a grim warning about the unchecked network of fake agents who prey on rural youth, turning hope into horror in the name of a better life abroad.